Automatic cut-out.



G. W. GRAVENS.

AUTOMATIG GUT-OUT. APPLICATION FILED JULY 30, 1910.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

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HAS ATTORNEY-S.

v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I GEORGE W. ORAVENS, OF CHIGAGQILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO DELTA-STAR ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC CUT-OUT.

Specification of. Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE WV. CRAVENS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Cut-Outs, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and.

lates to the control of electric lights, particularly lights used in the upper berths of sleeping cars and has for its object to provide a reliable and positive means for insuring the extinguishment of such lights when the upper berths are closed, thus preventing any possibility of fire due to a light left burning in a berth after it has been closed. My invention may, however, be Viewed in various broader aspects since the features of construction and arrangement are applicable to various other uses. 7

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but for a full understanding of my invention and of its various objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional view showing a fragment of a sleeping car equipped in accordance with a p1 eferred form of my invention, the upper berth member being shown in its lowered osition; Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. v1 s owing the condition of the parts when the upper berthis closed; and Fig. 3' isa front view of the automatic switch. v

' For the sake of brevity I have shown only a single preferred form of my invention and have illustrated it as applied to a sleeping car. It will of course be understood that the control system as a whole may be employed wherever it is desired to have a light or other translating device controlled by a swinging or other movable member so as to insure the existence of a certain condition when the movable member occupies a predetermined position or when it occupies some position other than a predetermined position. With this understanding as to the actual scope of my invention I shall explain in detail the construction and mode of operation of the embodiment thereof as applied to sleeping cars.

Referring to'the drawing, A represents a stationary side wall of a sleeping car and B represents a swinging upper berth member of any usual or suitable construction; said member being adapted to be lowered into the position shown in Fig. 1 or to be raised up against the side or under the roof of the car as shown in Fig. 2.

C is a lamp, in the'present instance, an ordinary incandescent lamp such as is used in the berths of sleeping cars.

D is the controlling circuitfor the lamp; this being, in the present instance, the circuit which supplies current.

E is the usual manually-actuated switch adjacent to the lamp by which the occupant of the berth controls the light. If the only means for controlling the light were the manually-actuated switch, it might happen that the porter would close the berth while the light was burning, thus causing the closed space between the side of the car and the berth member to become heated and perhaps setting fire to the berth and to the car. In accordance with my invention I have provided'an automatic control which will positively insure the shutting off of the current to the lamp when the berth-is closed. Therefore it is immaterial whether the manually actuated switch is left open or closed, for the act of closing the berth automatically extin danger which would otherwise be present where the sole control was manual. The automatic control of thecircuit is effected by means of a switch placed at some point, preferably near the pivotal end of the berth member, where it can be actuated through movements of the berth member. In the arrangement shown, I have set a. switch box F in the wall of the car adjacent to the inner'end of the upper berth member. The box ma contain any suitable ty e of switch, prefera ly one which automatically closes when free to do so and upon which pressure is required in order to open it. In the an rangement shown an ordinary knife switch is employed, there being an arm G pivotally mounted at g and adapted to engage with contact pieces H in one position.

ishes the light and avoids the I is a spring which tends normally to hold the switch arm in engagement with the cooperating contact pieces. One end of the switch arm is connected to a link K which is in turn pivotally connected to one end-of an actuating member L. In accordance with my invention I pivotally support the actuating member at one end as indicated at Z angles in order to insure an inward swing.

Upon the rear end of the upper berth memberI mount a cam M which is so shaped and positioned that when the berth member is in its lowered position the cam is either entirely out of engagement with the actuating member of the switch or at least permits the actuating member to move out far enough to let the circuit be closed; while upon raising the berth member the cam gradually pushes the actuating member of the switch inwardly until the circuit is broken. The parts are preferably so arranged that the switch will be opened somewhat before the berth member reaches its uppermost or raised position so that there will be no danger of leaving the circuit energized. If the cam is' made rigid then there is danger of producing objectionable stresses in the switch mechanism if the adjustments are not exactly right and, in" order to avoid the necessity of making delicate adjustments, I prefer to make the cam resilient so that, although the switch may have been completely opened when the berth has completed only half or two thirds of its upward movement, the cam is free to yield sufficiently to avoid the creatio of any disadvantageous strains in the. {witch mechanism. The cam may conveniently be formed of a flat strip of spring brass or steel secured at one end to the upper berth member and having the remainder thereof curved in such a manner that the distance therefrom to the pivotal axis 7) of the berth member gradually increases as the free end is reached. This arrangement permits the parts to be adjusted so that the switch is opened long before the berth member reaches its raised position, the further movement of the berth member serving simply to flex the cam; thus maintaining an effective pressure on the switch-actuating member-without danger of introducing crushing stresses which might destroy the switch mechanism. By making the actuating member with a broad face to be engaged by the cam, any distortion of the upper berthmember which may occur in service will fail to shift or cant the cam sufficiently. to prevent the successful operation of the automatic controlling mechanism.

As stated above, I have illustrated and described in detail only a single preferred form of my invention and its application to a single field; but I do not desire to be limited either to the particular field or to the particular details of construction and arrangement illustrated and described, as I intend to cover all embodiments of my invention which fall within the terms employed in the definitions thereof which constitute the appended claims. What I claim is:

1. In a car, a stationary wall, an upper berth member movably mounted on said wall and having a raised position and a lowered position, a light mounted on said wall in a position to be concealed by said berth member when the latter is raised, a controlling circuit for said light, a manually operated switch in said circuit, and a switch mechanism in said circuit including a resilient cam carried by said berth member, said switch mechanism being constructed and arranged to vary the circuit conditions when saidmember is moved from one position to the other.

2. In combination, a structure having a stationary wall and a movable wall member mounted on the stationary wall, a translating device mounted on the stationary wall, a controlling circuit for said device, a switch in 'said circuit, and a cam carried by said movable member and arranged to engage with said switch to control the'same.

3. In a car, a stationary wall, an upper berth member movably mounted on said wall and having a raised position and a lowered position, alight mounted on said wall in a position to be concealed by said berth member when the latter is raised, a controlling circuit for said light, a manuallyroperated switch in said circuit, a second switch in said circuit, a shoe connected to the latter switch and pivotally mounted on said stationary wall so as to project therefrom into proximity to said upper berth member, and a curved spring member secured at one end to the berth memberin a position to engage with said shoe when said berth member is raised and actuate said second switch.

' In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

GEO. W. GRAVENS. 

